Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-11-30
For the YOrkville Enquirer.
THE GRADED SCHOOL QUESTION.

Editor of the Enquirer II beg for space in
your valuable paper to give expression to what
I believe to be the views entertained by more
than three-fourths of the taxpayers, and all the
business men of the town, on the subject of the
proposed increase of taxation for public school
purposes.
That of making the town of Yorkville a spe-
cial school district, adding to the boundary
thereof one-half mile in each direction, making
a special school district of a three mile circuit,
upon which it is proposed to petition the pres
ent Legislature for power to assess and levy a
special tax, not exceeding an amount probably
Of two mills.
And of buying the building known as the
Yorkville Female College building of the pres
ent stockholders, for the sum of $500, paying
So, 900 to the stockholders, the remainder, $500
to be placed as a fund for the purposeo of buying
an issue of school district bonds, bearing 7 per
cent. interest, to run twenty years. The inter-
est on these bonds to be provided for from
funds raised for school purposes.
Now is it not time 10 call a halt in this matter
of taxation, and have a grand review? Is not
our burden now sufficiently heavy? Can we
stand this terrible increase we are rushlng
headlong into? When will we reach the point
of desperation in this matter? Was there not
atine when our people arose In their mlgnt, as
one man, to suppress a power whose metnodS
of excess will be felt for days TO come! arc
VIC % SJDlGClCu lO-Cdf Y IiAdu Po"Nh 49,
ballot box on elections for tax contributions?
Will it not be felt from the half mile annex,
should an election be ordered, to say whether
or no this district would say by their ballots
they are willing to pay this special pubic
school tax?
Is it not incumbent upon our people to de-
wise plans to invite investment capital into our
midst, and seek to foster and build up our
enterprises and strengthen our business, com
mertial and manufacturing interests? Does
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values, and drive off investment capital, stran-
gle our industries and enterprises, and paralyze
our energies?
If the holders of the stock of the Female
College building wish to dispose of their prop
erty, the writer of this article will be one OF
thirty to buy the entire stock of the property
at the highest price at which the stock has
been sold in open market, during the last five
years-the price ranging from Sll.OO to Slo.Oo
per share-and contribute it to the town, TO be
held by the town and controlled by a board OF
trustees, rather than that it be made a burden
to the taxpayers of the town under the plan
proposed.
public schools is deficient, and that we do not
enjoy the benefit of moneys collected for public
school purposes. The cause OF failure to nave
successful public schools and to get the full
benefit of moneys raised under the Constitu-
tional tax and otherwise. under the present
system, can be attributed to no other cause
than the lndlSpOSltlOn OF inc people 10 1oslel
and patronize such public schools, and to a
general spirit of lethargy on the subject, the
popular plan being to lend succor and sup
bort to private or family schools to the destruc-
ton, may say, of the public schools:
1t is not my purpose in writing this article
to discourage schools in any sense, either pub
lie or private. Far from 1t as no one realizes
more than I, the necessity of education, and
I heartily coincide with the efforts on the part
of the people to promote the welfare of the
public schools, and beg to submit the follow,
ing plan, by which a satisfactory public school
be conducted in Yorkville
That the school building should be made the
property of the town.
That the building be placed in the hands OF a
board of trustees, composed of the Intendant
of the town and one representative from each
of the five UNCONVENTIONAL churches located III
the town. =,
That this board of trustees be vested with
power to take charge of the public money col
iected for public school purposes, ~(subJect to
the laws controlling same,) in the district ap-
portioned to such school, and that the board be
also vested with power to employ teachers suit
able for conducting the school.
That such school be run as a graded subscrlp-
ton school, in that every child admitted into
the school will be a subscribed scholar to tho